How to Make Your Own Beach Chair – a fun DIY project
To me, the beach chair we’re featuring today says ‘vacation’, ‘relaxation’, ‘happy’, ‘sunshine’ and ‘fresh air’: the best of the beach.
As we are rapidly approaching that vacation season, now is the time to be brave and go to the lumberman (or your own shed), pick up some wood and make a chair like this.
OK, girls n guys, let’s get handy with tools… We are in urgent need of beach chairs and deck chairs, so I’m featuring a rather easy beach chair DIY tutorial today, and next week Friday, a tutorial how to make an Adirondack chair (*) or love seat, all out of wood.
Mental Preparation
I would classify both this beach chair DIY a more intermediate level DIY PROJECT. However, sometimes it’s merely a matter of just beginning. Just started considering that you personally would be able to make a chair. What a thought is that! And if you can get your lumberyard to cut your pieces for you for a small fee, this project becomes quite do-able.
Your own beach chair ?! Imagine how satisfied you’ll sit in it knowing that you made it?!
Photo Credit: Canadian Living, an awesome magazine! Get a Subscription of Canadian Living and you’ll be happier than you can imagine! Always filled with really good projects, tips and articles.
Today’s Beach Chair DIY
Calling this a ‘how to’, I mean not to merely re-line a beach chair with a piece of new fabric and put then to it on the deck.
No. I mean making our own comfy beach chairs from start to finish, including the wooden beams!
Now I’m lucky enough to share with you the complete step-by-step chair making instruction on how to make both an adult and child version of this chair (DESIGNED BY JO CALVERT; https://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/home_and_garden/make_a_deck_chair.php).
Beach Chair DIY Supplies List
1. Outdoor Furniture Fabric
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There are many choices, be sure to check out these cute indoor/outdoor Fabrics #ad. What you’ll need for 1 Beach Chair DIY project:
- Sturdy fabric measuring 52- x 18-in.
- Use canvas, duck or denim; or drapery chintz (which is woodblock printed, painted or stained calico) fused to both sides of sturdy fabric with Stitch Witchery or similar bonding web.
- Matching thread.
2. Wood
Hit the lumber yard for wood. Here is what you should get for 1 adult chair:
- Four 8-foot lengths of 2- x 1-inch clear hardwood, such as birch or maple
- Four slip washers
- Four 3/8-inch lock washers
- Four 5/16-inch carriage bolts, 1-1/2-inches long, with four corresponding nuts
- Ten 1-1/2-inch wood screws.
Tools needed
- Saw
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Plane
- Drill with assorted bits
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Set square
- Tape measure
- Sandpaper in various grades
- Varnish or wax
Cutting & Assembly Instructions
Obtain the instructions by joining our newsletter mailing list. Our Welcome email is a jam-packed issues with ideas and projects including this one.
Originally posted July 9, 2010. Updated September 2022.
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